The Red Bulls kick off their conference final tie with Atlanta today

The one New Jersey/New York team Johnny really pulled for starts the conference final tie (Americans and Canadians call them a 'home and home' series) with the Atlanta Braves, er Hawks, um, no, Falcons? It can't be the Thrashers, they're gone. Anyway, the Red Bulls play at Atlanta United at 5:30pm. It would be so Red Bulls to get this far again and lose but something tells Johnny they can win the Eastern Conference. If the Red Bulls play an in your face style against Atlanta and force them into giveaways and less possession, like they did previously this season, maybe the South Ward will still be chanting, “You can’t beat us,” in the return match at Red Bull Arena on Thursday.

NYCFC fans can go put on their Red Bull hats now.

Red Bulls on parade!

Well well well, the short-lived victory NYCFC had over the Red Bulls earlier this month proved to the the outlier as the Red Bull thrashed their cross-Hudson River rivals 4-1 today in Harrison. The South Ward was in fine form taunting NYCFC and their Third Rail fandom when, during a mandatory hydration break on a sweltering day, sang 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for their Yankee Stadium rivals.

This makes it five wins in six matches for the Red Bulls vs NYCFC over two seasons.

Hot Town, Soccer in the City

As summer begins pulling into the station known as fall, with the 90's and high 80's seeming a memory there will be plenty of city heat tonight at Red Bull Arena when NYCFC and their rabble of fans will come out to Harrison for the third and final Hudson River Derby of the year. The Red Bulls have won the first two rather handily but tonight will be the first time the Citizen-Lites will have their big three of Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa available. Villa featured in both previous games while Lampard and Pirlo weren't on the active roster or on their way from Europe. Eschewing big names the Red Bulls are on a tear winning their last three MLS matches and have been playing very well. The Red Bulls are in fine form. The Wright-Phillips brothers together have been great in the attack and tonight the Red Bulls will be all about pace and going forward. NYCFC is hoping for more of a tactical traditional game as they don't wanna run with the Bulls.

Johnny thinks the Red Bulls tonight are going to run over and through the NYCFC side, with an early lead they may run riot. It'd be best if the NYCFC fanbase ie "rabble" mind their manners better on the PATH train on the way over. Johnny's planning on getting there early for the festivities and will have a full report as soon as he does.

Red Bulls at home tonight vs Portland

In their last home match until June 27th the Red Bulls are home to the Portland Timbers tonight with the match getting underway at 7pm. If you want to take in some live soccer before the World Cup kicks off in three weeks, tonight is the night to do it. Portland is bringing up the rear in the Western Conference while the Red Bulls are in the middle of the pack in the east. A win tonight could move #RBNY into fourth place.

Take the PATH to Harrison. Get off. Head to the large stadium on your left. Good times!

Harrison PATH station to get a long overdue overhaul

It's going to be like one of those teevee shows where they gut everything and start anew and baby the Harrison PATH station sure needs that. Built in 1936 it is woefully inadequate to service the community not to mention Red Bulls games. The Port Authority will spend over $250 million dollars on the improvements. The even better news is that in addition to the PATH station overhaul local residential and commercial properties are being built and leased near the station:

Hundreds of condominiums and rental units are already built, under construction or planned for the area surrounding the local PATH station. A multi-phase residential and commercial project now being developed adjacent to the Harrison station is called, aptly enough, Harrison Station.

See there, a few bars and restaurants for game nights (and don't forget there aren't just games on nights the Red Bulls are home, plenty of international friendly matches fill the Red Bull Arena on other evenings), a nice neighborhood to commute to and from, and you've hopefully got the beginnings of a sustainable new area in our area.

But when this is all done Harrison's buying a round...